2. digital
  3. 1241140138

SACD sounds worse or CD sounds better or ....?

I have been going through a rather substantial system upgrade over the past few months. The only thing that hasn't changed (yet) is my source: a Bel Canto PL-1A UDP.

Everything sounds better with the new system and I am very pleased.

BUT one thing is puzzling me. Whereas before, with my less capable system, SACDs always sounded substantially better than Redbook CDs. Now the difference between the two formats is not as substantial. And the source hasn't changed. And I was running PL-1A analog out before as well.

The only thing that has changed at the source is that my new pre-amp has balanced inputs, and so I am using the balanced outputs from the PL-1A whereas before I was using the RCA outs.

Does this make any sense? Any thoughts as to why a system that is generally better in every sense (more extension in both directions, better resolved, better balanced, fuller, etc), would end up have less of an apparent difference between CDs and SACDs?

Thanks for your thoughts.

--dan
dgaylin

Showing 6 responses by dgaylin

dgaylin OP
255 posts
 
Islandmandan -- thanks. SACD sounds better. So I guess the title of the thread is misleading. Everything sounds better for sure. It's just that the difference between SACDs and CDs has diminished. And the source is the same. I forgot to mention I also upgraded power cords and interconnects at the source, so that could be a factor as well, in addition to switching to balanced outputs. But I'm still struggling with why the delta between SACD and CD would shrink. Maybe the old system was not allowing the CD playback in the player to reach its full potential, but why would it result in SACD and CD sounding so much closer than they did previously.
dgaylin OP
255 posts
 
Jylee -- yes, I think that's quite right. I had tried several other UDPs before I settled on the Bel Canto. Very substantial differences among and across formats and players. And SACD used to be more important to ME too until so many labels abandonded it. It complicates the next choice though, as I have quite a few SACDs...
dgaylin OP
255 posts
 
Islandmandan -- you make an interesting point that provokes a thought (probably part of what Jylee was getting at)....different DACs for different formats in the UDPs mean different capabilities. Your outboard DAC for redbook improves its performance in your system So, as per your initial point, going to different outputs and cables could indeed raise the level of one DAC more than the other, hence redbook CD performance could improve more than SACD performance, even though both improved....plausible anyway.
dgaylin OP
255 posts
 
Danlib1 and Czbbcl, thanks for your thoughts. Yes I think the consensus is that depending upon the gear and recording SACD and CD can sound very similar. But there's still what I believe is the interesting question about when the source doesn't change and it's the analog output of a UDP, why upgrading other components would cause the percieved difference in quality between SACD and CD to shrink, even as the quality of both increases. Or put another way (and this may be key to the answer) why does CD playback increase MORE thans SACD playback when other parts of a system are upgraded?
dgaylin OP
255 posts
 
Jylee -- THAT indeed makes sense. Yes, a preamp upgrade was a key part of the upgrade. Not tubed, but the most musical pre-amp I have ever owned.
dgaylin OP
255 posts
 
I think it boils down to the balanced connection+new pre-amp coupled with different DACS for the two formats. But ironically, Islandmandan really had it right in his first post -- with Redbook CD now sounding so good, it's nice to no longer feel like I only get great sound with my SACDs!

Thanks all for the insights!
More to discover